ESPN Radio iPhone app adds streaming with 3.0 update

The ESPN Radio app’s 3.0 update packs quite a wallop. With a dozen new features that range from content to cosmetic, the development team at ESPN truly went all out to improve an already stellar radio app. That said, the feature most likely to grab everyone’s attention is the automatic background play. Now you can […]

The ESPN Radio app’s 3.0 update packs quite a wallop. With a dozen new features that range from content to cosmetic, the development team at ESPN truly went all out to improve an already stellar radio app.

That said, the feature most likely to grab everyone’s attention is the automatic background play. Now you can choose your favorite ESPN Radio affiliate, and listen to the station stream on your iPhone while you try to finally beat that level of Angry Birds you’ve been stuck on for weeks. It’s an obvious feature, but it works well, and the stream sounds fantastic, with little buffering and great clarity.

Another feature sure to please is the ability to “favorite” stations, shows or podcasts for easy retrieval. Say you love the ESPN Radio national morning show Mike & Mike in the Morning, but also can’t get enough of Chicago’s Waddle & Silvy? Well, add them both as favorites, and then check out their podcasts as they get updated following their shows. This, too, works just like it should, and the addition of everything you want under one tab on the app makes for extreme convenience.

Of course, there are numerous other additions in this update. Without going into great detail, users can now get more live streams than before, search for thousands of audio clips, and get the latest ESPN Radio “SportsCenter” updates at the click of a button. The BottomLine score ticker has also been improved.

If you already had the ESPN Radio app, this update won’t turn you off of the app for even a second. It improves upon the old version in every way imaginable. If you were on the fence about downloading, this ought to push you clear over the fence into the next town. For sports fans, ESPN Radio is a must-own app.

Dan Kricke has been playing with electronics and writing about them for years. He loved his Sega Dreamcast and now the PlayStation 3. On the iPhone, he's a fan of sports apps and anything that offers new music.